BPG 2019 - THE END
- Thread starter RJF
- Start date
Our last elimination tonight... hurts.
32
SCORE: 7.473
11 x 2 (@that boy is a monster @godspeed)
HIGHEST SCORE: 10 x 22 (@Music Is Life @Joe. @DJHazey @sexercise @ohnostalgia @Jwentz @Slice of Life @Petty Mayonnaise @Babyface @djmakemewet @Jonathan27 @Mushroom @pop3blow2 @Ashling92 @Gabeee9292 @aaronhansome @Bangers&Bops @Mr Blonde @Subwaykid @Diet Pop! @PushyBakerFriend)
LOWEST SCORE: 1.5 x 1 (@Guy)
MY SCORE: 10/10
Let's talk about Taylor Swift's best song for a minute, shall we?
There's a lot of power on display in "It's Nice To Have A Friend" and it's actually kind of stunning to think about. If there was a song that actually would have benefited from a video set in a snowglobe, it would be this one; a song where Taylor manages to vividly portray decades and whole lifetimes across single stanzas, and how all that majesty is perfectly contained within the world of this breathtaking, unassuming little song. There's not a trope in sight, and even when one comes close, it's more in aid of the massive amount of world-building that goes into every single word rather than an attempt to engineer a kneejerk emotional reaction. One mention of sidewalk chalk instantly evokes summer days, sun-warmed tarmac, and all the kind of silly dumb shit we had to do back in the 90s to entertain ourselves because the Internet hadn't come along to save us just yet. It doesn't matter if the event being illustrated clearly happens in winter; the intent is in that feeling. Time and place are conjured around us, and it's a master stroke.
The song is full of effective, affecting, economical lyrical work like this. I mean, that second verse alone. I can't. The way it effortlessly manages to move the song onto a time where interactions with other people have become more complicated and difficult to navigate, and the anxiety that comes with it, and the bravery to reach out through it all. The third verse completes things perfectly. In a career defined by songs full of grand gestures and dramatic, turbulent emotions, Taylor finally realises that it's all the boring, non-descript, day-to-day stuff that really renders a relationship in technicolour, because... that's just life.
Yeah, I absolutely adore this and think it's probably her best work ever as a lyricist. The levels to something that is so utterly simple on the surface. The stories told in three or four words. Y'all can keep that scarf from the very first week; I'll have this instead: whole universes and lifetimes cradled in two and a half minutes. Honestly, as a popstar, Taylor is outclassed by others in almost every single way. She doesn't have the imagination for it. But this, this is where her head and her heart really seem to lie. Can she honestly just ditch writing fairly mediocre pop songs while performing them decently in productions that swallow her whole? Because no one else could do a song like this, and do it this well, and it's definitely an avenue she should explore more in the future.
I am not alone in the praise either. @godspeed joins me in loving it, and even gives it his 11/10, "Never would I have thought I'd ever pick a song from a mediocre album by Taylor Swift as my 11 in a BPG rate, especially when a Beyoncé album is included in it. But after wondering for a LONG time which song I was going to pick as my 11 in this rate, I realized that I had to be honest with myself and choose the song that surprised and captivated me the most in 2019 and that has remained on my mind ever since. "It's Nice To Have A Friend" is probably the weirdest song Taylor Swift ever made. It's incredibly subdued, very low-key, it's sweet, it sounds very organic and quite simple in its composition and production, it never tries to be catchy or deliver a (cringey) punchline like so many songs on "Lover" do, yet it's enough to create and convey a dreamy and romantic atmosphere. It's a very captivating song that sounds nothing like what Taylor Swift has been offering us/forcing down our throats these past few years. I don't think she actually released something I have loved that much since... "Begin Again," in 2012? It's beautiful, it's such a unique piece in her discography and especially on that album. It sounds like something Sufjan Stevens could do if he worked with a pop artist. A part of me would like to think that, in the future, Taylor Swift will follow down this path and try experiment more with her music and her songwriting, something that has been lacking ever since 1989. But I know very well that it won't happen and we'll get another "ME!"-sized disaster to add to her collection." Word.
32
SCORE: 7.473
11 x 2 (@that boy is a monster @godspeed)
HIGHEST SCORE: 10 x 22 (@Music Is Life @Joe. @DJHazey @sexercise @ohnostalgia @Jwentz @Slice of Life @Petty Mayonnaise @Babyface @djmakemewet @Jonathan27 @Mushroom @pop3blow2 @Ashling92 @Gabeee9292 @aaronhansome @Bangers&Bops @Mr Blonde @Subwaykid @Diet Pop! @PushyBakerFriend)
LOWEST SCORE: 1.5 x 1 (@Guy)
MY SCORE: 10/10
Let's talk about Taylor Swift's best song for a minute, shall we?
There's a lot of power on display in "It's Nice To Have A Friend" and it's actually kind of stunning to think about. If there was a song that actually would have benefited from a video set in a snowglobe, it would be this one; a song where Taylor manages to vividly portray decades and whole lifetimes across single stanzas, and how all that majesty is perfectly contained within the world of this breathtaking, unassuming little song. There's not a trope in sight, and even when one comes close, it's more in aid of the massive amount of world-building that goes into every single word rather than an attempt to engineer a kneejerk emotional reaction. One mention of sidewalk chalk instantly evokes summer days, sun-warmed tarmac, and all the kind of silly dumb shit we had to do back in the 90s to entertain ourselves because the Internet hadn't come along to save us just yet. It doesn't matter if the event being illustrated clearly happens in winter; the intent is in that feeling. Time and place are conjured around us, and it's a master stroke.
The song is full of effective, affecting, economical lyrical work like this. I mean, that second verse alone. I can't. The way it effortlessly manages to move the song onto a time where interactions with other people have become more complicated and difficult to navigate, and the anxiety that comes with it, and the bravery to reach out through it all. The third verse completes things perfectly. In a career defined by songs full of grand gestures and dramatic, turbulent emotions, Taylor finally realises that it's all the boring, non-descript, day-to-day stuff that really renders a relationship in technicolour, because... that's just life.
Yeah, I absolutely adore this and think it's probably her best work ever as a lyricist. The levels to something that is so utterly simple on the surface. The stories told in three or four words. Y'all can keep that scarf from the very first week; I'll have this instead: whole universes and lifetimes cradled in two and a half minutes. Honestly, as a popstar, Taylor is outclassed by others in almost every single way. She doesn't have the imagination for it. But this, this is where her head and her heart really seem to lie. Can she honestly just ditch writing fairly mediocre pop songs while performing them decently in productions that swallow her whole? Because no one else could do a song like this, and do it this well, and it's definitely an avenue she should explore more in the future.
I am not alone in the praise either. @godspeed joins me in loving it, and even gives it his 11/10, "Never would I have thought I'd ever pick a song from a mediocre album by Taylor Swift as my 11 in a BPG rate, especially when a Beyoncé album is included in it. But after wondering for a LONG time which song I was going to pick as my 11 in this rate, I realized that I had to be honest with myself and choose the song that surprised and captivated me the most in 2019 and that has remained on my mind ever since. "It's Nice To Have A Friend" is probably the weirdest song Taylor Swift ever made. It's incredibly subdued, very low-key, it's sweet, it sounds very organic and quite simple in its composition and production, it never tries to be catchy or deliver a (cringey) punchline like so many songs on "Lover" do, yet it's enough to create and convey a dreamy and romantic atmosphere. It's a very captivating song that sounds nothing like what Taylor Swift has been offering us/forcing down our throats these past few years. I don't think she actually released something I have loved that much since... "Begin Again," in 2012? It's beautiful, it's such a unique piece in her discography and especially on that album. It sounds like something Sufjan Stevens could do if he worked with a pop artist. A part of me would like to think that, in the future, Taylor Swift will follow down this path and try experiment more with her music and her songwriting, something that has been lacking ever since 1989. But I know very well that it won't happen and we'll get another "ME!"-sized disaster to add to her collection." Word.
Idiots
Tomorrow night, @Laura Vanderbooben rises from the dead (FUCK.) where she'll be plunging into the Top 30. In the meantime, I'll be seething about the previous elimination.
Oh, and we're leaving Taylor alone for a while.
TOP 31
bad guy
you should see me in a crown
when the party's over
my strange addiction
bury a friend
ilomilo
i love you
imagine
NASA
bloodline
fake smile
bad idea
ghostin
in my head
thank u, next
BIGGER
FIND YOUR WAY BACK
MOOD 4 EVA
WATER
BROWN SKIN GIRL
MY POWER
Cruel Summer
Soon You'll Get Better
False God
Katy Perry - Never Really Over
Katy Perry - Harleys In Hawaii
Billie Eilish - everything i wanted
Lizzo - Truth Hurts
Lizzo - Good As Hell
Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You
Dua Lipa - Don't Start Now
Oh, and we're leaving Taylor alone for a while.
TOP 31
bad guy
you should see me in a crown
when the party's over
my strange addiction
bury a friend
ilomilo
i love you
imagine
NASA
bloodline
fake smile
bad idea
ghostin
in my head
thank u, next
BIGGER
FIND YOUR WAY BACK
MOOD 4 EVA
WATER
BROWN SKIN GIRL
MY POWER
Cruel Summer
Soon You'll Get Better
False God
Katy Perry - Never Really Over
Katy Perry - Harleys In Hawaii
Billie Eilish - everything i wanted
Lizzo - Truth Hurts
Lizzo - Good As Hell
Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You
Dua Lipa - Don't Start Now
He/him
I would 100% be here for a full album of Taylor songs that sound like they could have been fluke indie Hot 100 hits in 2012.
It's Nice To Have A Friend is a better love song than any other attempt she's made possibly ever purely because it doesn't feel like it has an agenda. She's not trying so hard to evoke a particular emotional response and just lets the song breathe and unfurl into something both epic and intimate. It deserves so much better.
He / Him / His
Our last elimination tonight... hurts.
32
SCORE: 7.473
11 x 2 (@that boy is a monster @godspeed)
HIGHEST SCORE: 10 x 22 (@Music Is Life @Joe. @DJHazey @sexercise @ohnostalgia @Jwentz @Slice of Life @Petty Mayonnaise @Babyface @djmakemewet @Jonathan27 @Mushroom @pop3blow2 @Ashling92 @Gabeee9292 @aaronhansome @Bangers&Bops @Mr Blonde @Subwaykid @Diet Pop! @PushyBakerFriend)
LOWEST SCORE: 1.5 x 1 (@Guy)
MY SCORE: 10/10
Let's talk about Taylor Swift's best song for a minute, shall we?
There's a lot of power on display in "It's Nice To Have A Friend" and it's actually kind of stunning to think about. If there was a song that actually would have benefited from a video set in a snowglobe, it would be this one; a song where Taylor manages to vividly portray decades and whole lifetimes across single stanzas, and how all that majesty is perfectly contained within the world of this breathtaking, unassuming little song. There's not a trope in sight, and even when one comes close, it's more in aid of the massive amount of world-building that goes into every single word rather than an attempt to engineer a kneejerk emotional reaction. One mention of sidewalk chalk instantly evokes summer days, sun-warmed tarmac, and all the kind of silly dumb shit we had to do back in the 90s to entertain ourselves because the Internet hadn't come along to save us just yet. It doesn't matter if the event being illustrated clearly happens in winter; the intent is in that feeling. Time and place are conjured around us, and it's a master stroke.
The song is full of effective, affecting, economical lyrical work like this. I mean, that second verse alone. I can't. The way it effortlessly manages to move the song onto a time where interactions with other people have become more complicated and difficult to navigate, and the anxiety that comes with it, and the bravery to reach out through it all. The third verse completes things perfectly. In a career defined by songs full of grand gestures and dramatic, turbulent emotions, Taylor finally realises that it's all the boring, non-descript, day-to-day stuff that really renders a relationship in technicolour, because... that's just life.
Yeah, I absolutely adore this and think it's probably her best work ever as a lyricist. The levels to something that is so utterly simple on the surface. The stories told in three or four words. Y'all can keep that scarf from the very first week; I'll have this instead: whole universes and lifetimes cradled in two and a half minutes. Honestly, as a popstar, Taylor is outclassed by others in almost every single way. She doesn't have the imagination for it. But this, this is where her head and her heart really seem to lie. Can she honestly just ditch writing fairly mediocre pop songs while performing them decently in productions that swallow her whole? Because no one else could do a song like this, and do it this well, and it's definitely an avenue she should explore more in the future.
I am not alone in the praise either. @godspeed joins me in loving it, and even gives it his 11/10, "Never would I have thought I'd ever pick a song from a mediocre album by Taylor Swift as my 11 in a BPG rate, especially when a Beyoncé album is included in it. But after wondering for a LONG time which song I was going to pick as my 11 in this rate, I realized that I had to be honest with myself and choose the song that surprised and captivated me the most in 2019 and that has remained on my mind ever since. "It's Nice To Have A Friend" is probably the weirdest song Taylor Swift ever made. It's incredibly subdued, very low-key, it's sweet, it sounds very organic and quite simple in its composition and production, it never tries to be catchy or deliver a (cringey) punchline like so many songs on "Lover" do, yet it's enough to create and convey a dreamy and romantic atmosphere. It's a very captivating song that sounds nothing like what Taylor Swift has been offering us/forcing down our throats these past few years. I don't think she actually released something I have loved that much since... "Begin Again," in 2012? It's beautiful, it's such a unique piece in her discography and especially on that album. It sounds like something Sufjan Stevens could do if he worked with a pop artist. A part of me would like to think that, in the future, Taylor Swift will follow down this path and try experiment more with her music and her songwriting, something that has been lacking ever since 1989. But I know very well that it won't happen and we'll get another "ME!"-sized disaster to add to her collection." Word.
I HAVE FUCKING HAD IT WITH YOU ALL
he/him
Well fuck me. I must have been in a pissy mood when I did my rate, because well ... Lover is absolutely not a good album overall, but I just relooked at my score and I only gave It's Nice To Have a Friend a 9 and that's just wrong because it's a 10 EASY so...I'll put on my clown face I guess.
I’m starting to agree!
This and the Gaga rate have seriously exposed the flop taste I really didn’t know I had.
I...appreciated It's Nice To Have A Friend, but I admit to overlooking quite how interesting it is that it's so economical. I guess I was slightly befuddled by that decision, but it sort of plays out like the curious result of a songwriting task from a particularly difficult studio day, when nothing is quite working. She's been tasked to pare down the topics she's wanting to cram into one sweeping song, without actually removing the story itself, and without going 'grand'. I dunno. I can't help but hear it as a Tegan & Sara - I Was Married-esque interlude-y curio... but @RJF's write-up made me sit down and relisten.
